The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-20
THE SOUTHERN BELLIES.
A Trip to the Great Northwest--A Few Glimpses at the Characters of
 Wel1-Known People.
EditoTfot Correspondence.
 Hotel Lafayette, LAKE MINNEToNKA, MIN, !
 Auoust. 1SS7

Hotel Lafayette,
 LAKE MINNEToNKA, M1NN.,
 August, 1887. )
 Several months ago the newspapers began to speak of a party of handsome and brilliant southern ladies, who, marshaled by Monte Christo P. Do- nan, would visit the northwest. The bud of rumor has unfolded into rose of truth. The brilliant ladies are now at this grand hotel, braving the glances of the curious and illustrating the high drawn letter-press of com- pliments with the pink tinted litho- graph of smiles. These ladies hs ve un- consciously made me acquainted with my stronghold in life They have shown me that, with my rare capa- bilities of contrast, am the man to hold beauty up to it's best advantage. Bacon, in one of his essays, says that bright embroidery shows best on dark background On this occasion, the ladies are the bright embroidery. Before I proceed further, permit me to say that l am surprised at my own gallantry. 1 find that I can carry lunch baskets and tramp down briars with grace that would pour a mel low glow of credit over Big Mike on the Levee." One of the ladies, in whom l have great confidence and who l do not believe would flatter me, said: "Oh, you are such a de- llghtful hand to tramp down briars. Your broad and expansive way of mashing them into the ground is per fectly lovely. I always feel safe in following you,f know that you have made path. Don't put your foot on that poor dog over there."
 1 looked at her with the swimming eyes of emotional gratitude, and fear ing that she might have given mo un- due encouragement, she gracefully changed the subject and spoke in a palpitating tone of contemplative mule that stood gazing out over the beautiful lake.
 The party was originally com posed of the following named persons: Mrs. Clement c. Clay, Mrs. Basil Duke, Miss Mary l.. Dearing, Miss Tommie Duke, Miss Currie Duke, Miss Susie Hart, Mrs. T. D. Ballard, Mrs. Adolph Dahlgren, Miss Mary Demoville, Mrs. Moores, Mrs. Mamie c. Jackson, Miss Mary Cheatham, Miss Fannie McAiister, Miss Careta More, MT. and Mrs. G. II. Yenowine, Colonel P. Donan and Captain Phillips.
 The affair was arranged aud invita- tions given before the idiotic inter- state bill passed. It gave great trouble, but General Passenger Agent Charles H. Warren, or the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba railroad !; General Passenger Agent James H. Barker, of the Wisconsin Central, and General Passenger Agent E. o. Mc- Cormick, of the Louisville, New AL bany & Chicago, came to the rescue, and the success of the trip was assured. The whole jaunt was under the aus pices of the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba company, but Mir. McCor- mick, of the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago, worked at it as if it were his own affair. He aided Colonel Donan ill arranging transportation over other roads, used his telegraph deadhead freely and constantly in per- fecting arrangements, and rendered. infinite service in many ways. With out his aid the trip would have been almost impossible. District Passen- ger Agent D. G. Edwards and Gen. eral Agent w. H. Greegor, of the Chesapeake and Ohio, also rendered valuable assistance.
 The first point of rendezvous was Louisville. Miss May L. Dearing, of Lynchburg, Virginia, came over the Chesapeake and Ohio, passing through all the grand and picturesque scenery of the Greenbrier, Gauley and Kan awha rivers along the weird canyons of New river, past the Hawks Nest and Kanawha Falls, and through the rich coal ana iron regions of the West Virginia dnd Eastern Kentucky moun- tains. Mrs. Clay came from her plan tations near Huntsville, Alabama :: Mrs. Dahlgren, Mrs. Moores, Misses Demoville, Jackson, More, McAlister and Cheatham, and Captain Philips, from Nashville; Mrs. Ballard, from Lexington, and Miss Hart from Yer sailles, in the heart of the famous Blue Grass Region of Kentucky. Many of them met for the first time in their lives, in the Louisville depot of the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago railroad-the justly famous and pop ular Monon Route-Monday evening, July 2S. General agent Hathaway was present, working with might and main. Some of the party were late. He held the train. There were wagon loads of trunks he hurried the check ing, and saw the last one safely off. The weather was red-hot; he was bathed in precipitation and blazed with heat, but he never losta & moment